5 popular Indian cricketers who were not even born when Mithali Raj made her international debut
On Wednesday, legendary cricketer Mithali Raj announced her retirement from the game. A stunning career that lasted more than two decades, Mithali is arguably the greatest women cricketer that the country has seen. One of the most impressive aspects of her career has been that she stayed in form despite her growing age. Very few players manage to achieve this and Mithali was flawless at it. The former India skipper made her international debut on 26 June 1999 in an ODI encounter against Ireland. In this article, we take a look at five popular Indian cricketers who were not even born when Mithali Raj made her international debut.
The highest scorer in women's ODI cricket, Mithali witnessed many youngsters blossom under her tutelage. Parallelly, the men's team also produced a few brilliant cricketers. Some of the top stars of Indian cricket now were not even born when Mithali made her debut. This shows the longevity of Mithali's career.
1) Shafali Verma - Born on 28 January 2004
Shefali Verma is one of the Indian cricketers who was not even born when Mithali Raj made her international debut. Seen as the future of the Indian batting line-up, Shafali is one of the brightest youngsters in the game currently. She has already played in all three formats of the game and looks set for a long stint.
2) Jemimah Rodrigues - Born on 5 September 2000
Like Shafali, Jemimah is also a promising youngster in the Indian Team. She plays in the middle order and will be a worthy option to replace Mithali in the batting line-up. The Mumbai teenager has also shown her skills in the T20 leagues across the globe.
3) Shubman Gill - Born on 8 September 1999
Shubman Gill is also one of the Indian cricketers who were not even born when Mithali Raj made her international debut. While Shafali and Jemimah are regarded as the future batting superstars in women's cricket, it is Shubman Gill when it comes to the men's game. Gill already has a confirmed spot in the Test squad and it is not long before he extends his wings to the other formats, as well.
4) Prithvi Shaw - Born on 9 November 1999
Prithvi Shaw was popular with the Indian cricket fans even before his eventual senior debut. This was due to his marathon innings at the junior level in Mumbai. The swashbuckling opener is also a youngster on the rise when it comes to all three formats of the game.
5) Washington Sundar - Born on 5 October 1999
Washington Sundar made his international debut long back but it needs to be noted that he is still very young. Sundar has been part of the T20 squad but has lost his spot now. A good domestic season can help him get it back.